David H. Budlong-- Part 1: Postwar Career

From The Journal of  Proceedings  of the United States Senate in Executive Session.

On March 3, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt  nominated David H. Budlong, of Idaho,  to be register of  the land office at  Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, his term having expired.

The U.S. Senate agreed..

He was appointed and paid $1,177.

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From the Minutes of the Presbyterian Church.

May 21, 1903

There was a David H. Budlong  as a Ruling Elder  of the Synod of Washington.  (There was no Synod of Idaho so that probably was a part of the Synod of Washington at the time.)

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The 1860  Methodist Episcopal Church listed a David H. Budlong.

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From The First reunion of the Army of the Tennessee in 1892

135th USCT

Colonel:  John E. Gurley

Lieut.-Col: David H. Budlong

Major:  David Dixon

Col. John Edgar Gurley, 135th USCT-- Part 7: After the War

After he was discharged from the Army, John Gurley went back to Wisconsin, but this time settled in Platteville (not far from Shullsburg).  There he practiced law and formed a co-partnership with Paine & Carter, an established law  firm of that town.

He was an especially gifted orator and advocate, a man of great generosity and had many admirers.

In the summer of 1868, he took a severe cold and along with lasting effects of his military career caused his demise on April 2, 1869, at age 31.

His body was taken to  Sandwich, Illinois, where he is buried on the family plot at Pine Mound Cemetery in LaSalle County.

It is described as a very old and well-maintained  cemetery, but difficult to spot during corn-growing season.

--Old Secesh

John E. Gurley (135th USCT Commander)-- Part 6: The Battle of Atlanta to the End of the War

So, at the Battle of Atlanta, John Gurley did not become "a ruined man."

During the close-in fighting, Gurley had two horses shot out from under him.

But, for ordering those two regiments into line of battle without his commander's orders, Gurley was court martialed but since this action also saved his division from surprise and probably great loss of life, he was promoted to then rank of colonel and eventually received command of the 135th USCT Infantry Regiment the next year.

Before receiving that command, Gurley was part of Sherman's March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign.

He held the command of the 135th from March 1865 and his regiment was part of the Grand Review in Washington, D.C., and then to Louisville, Kentucky, where he and the regiment were mustered out of service in October 1865.

--Old Secesh

John E. Gurley-- Part 5: It Was Infantry in the Woods As It Turned Out

The question as to whether or not the noises were coming from cavalry or infantry was shortly determined when  Hardee's men emerged from the woods and attacked the rear of Smith's division with bullets streaming through the air and a big Rebel Yell.

Turning to Smith, John Gurley posed the question, "Are they infantry?"

Smith replied:  "yes, captain, and lots of them; go take command of those two regiments (that Gurley had formed into battle line of his own accord), lead them into the fight, check the enemy for a few minutes, till I get our men in line, then fall back to the main body."

Captain Gurley executed the order in the face of an overpowering foe and galling fire.  Then fell back as directed and fought with his comrades until night, maintaining their ground.

Sure Saved the General's Horse.  --Old Secesh

Col. John E. Gurley and David H. Budlong, Co. C, 33rd Wisconsin

From the Wisconsin Historical Society Roster of the 33rd Wisconsin

COMPANY C

Captain John E. Gurley

Residence:  Shullsburg, Wisconsin

Date:  Rank from August 23, 1862

REMARKS:

A.A.I.G., 4th Division, 17th Army Corps from Dec. 1864 to May 1865.

Colonel 135th U.S.C.T., May 27, 1865.

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In addition to John Gurley taking command of the 135th USCT, another man, a lieutenant in C Company, also went to the 135th USCT and became its lieutenant colonel.

DAVID H. BUDLONG, 1st lieutenant

RESIDENCE:  Shullsburg, Wisconsin

DATE:  Rank from:  October 9, 1862.

Enlisted August 21, 1862, Prov. Marshal 4th Division, 16th and 17th Army Corps from May 1863 to May 1864.

Promoted Lieut. Col.  U.S.C.T., May 27, 1865.

--Old Secesh

John E. Gurley-- Part 4: The Battle of Atlanta, About Those Noises Out in the Woods

At the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, John Gurley won his "Eagles," meaning his becoming a colonel.  You might even say his alert actions saved the Union army from a disastrous defeat at that battle.

During the early morning hours of July 22 reports of noises off in the wood s started coming into the Union commander in that section, Gen. Giles A. Smith, doubted it was infantry that was being heard, but sent an officer to investigate.

That officer was Captain Gurley and he was to make an observation and report back to the general.  He did just that and determined the sounds were coming from infantry.

On the evening of July 21, Confederate General Hood had ordered Lt. General  William J. Hardee's corps to make a 15-mile  night march and assault the Union army's  left flank, commanded by Major General  James B. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee.  The sounds being heard were Hardee's march.

Riding back to report to Giles, Gurley took it upon himself to order two Union regiments into line of battle to prepare for enemy attack.  He did this of his own accord and without the orders of his commanding general.

He got back to Smith's headquarters and made his report, "Infantry in large numbers, and will be upon you in a few minutes."   The general still did not believe him and thought it was just cavalry.  And when he found out that Gurley had taken it upon himself to order two of his regiments into line of battle without his express orders, the general blew his top, he turned to Gurley and said:  "Captain, if they are infantry you are all right, if not, you are a ruined man."

--Old Secesh

Col. John E. Gurley-- Part 3: At Vicksburg, the Second Battle of Jackson and Atlanta

Captain Gurley and his Co. C of the 33rd Wisconsin were at Vicksburg for forty days and involved in several fights including Gurley personally leading some charges.  After the fall of Vicksburg, he ended up on the staff of the 4th Division commanded by General  Jacob Lauman.

As such, he was at the Second Battle of Jackson (Mississippi) which ended in disaster and with Lauman being removed from command.

Captain Gurley continued with the staff, now under General Walter Quintin Gresham and was with him when he was wounded during the Atlanta Campaign  on July 21, 1864.  General Gresham's knee was shattered by a sharpshooter's bullet which ended his military career.

The next day, July 22, the division occupied the ground known as Bald Hill and this is where John Gurley earned his "Eagles,' promotion to colonel.

The question was, was that infantry moving in the woods or cavalry.  Gurley's actions, if incorrect would end his military career.

See the next post.

--Old Secesh

Col. John E. Gurley-- Part 2: Lived in Illinois and Wisconsin. Commanded Co. C in the 33rd Wisconsin

 From Find a Grave.

John Gurley was born in Illinois and received his early education in the town of Elizabeth in Jo Daviess County in the northwestern  part of the state near Galena (where U.S Grant lived.)

 He then attended district schools in Wisconsin and finished at Lombard University in Galesburg, Illinois. (Which no longer is in operation.)

After graduating, he took up the study of law  in the office of M. Hollister in Shullsburgh, Wisconsin, and was admitted to the bar in 1862 in that state.

In August of 1862, he enlisted a company of men who mustered into duty October 18, 1862, as Company C of the 33rd Wisconsin.  They left for the field of duty the following month and joined General Sherman's Army of the Tennessee and took part in Grant's move on  Jackson, Mississippi, and fought at Coldwater and other places.

On the night of the 4th of June 1863, before Vicksburg,  an impetuous  attack was made upon Confederate rifle pits near Halls Ferry Road led by Co. C, under Gurley and Co. K under Lt. Shea.    This caused the enemy to flea into their main works.

--Old Secesh

135th USCT-- Part 1: Mustered in at Goldsboro, N.C.

In the last post I wrote about the exhibit on this regiment that will be at the Wayne County Museum in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

From the 135th USCT website.

The regiment was formed in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on March  27, 1865, from men who had previously served in the Pioneer Corps, and were a part of Gen. William T. Sherman's Union Army.

Prior to taking the oath of service in Goldsboro, they had been recruited for the Pioneer Corps during Sherman's March through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  Once they were formed into the 135th, they were commanded by Colonel John Edgar Gurley, who then commanded them until the end of the war (which wasn't very long by this time).

The Pioneer Corps worked tirelessly through the winter of 1864 and spring of 1865 to move General Sherman's Army.  They built corduroyed roads to get them through swamps and bridges.  There were a lot of swamps, rivers and streams along Sherman's path.  These Pioneers were a big reason for his success.

They had to work hard to insure  that the over 2,500 wagons of Sherman's army could stay with the 60,000 men.

--Old Secesh